Resilient vehicle wheel



Patented Nov. 7, 1922. v

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FRANK M. ZOTTOLI, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RESILIENT VEHICLE WHEEL.

Application filed December 2, 1921. Serial No. 519,548.

` To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK M. ZorroLi, acitizen ot the United States, residing at Boston, county ot Sudolk,State ot Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and .usetullmproveinent in Resilient Vehicle lVheels, ot which the tollowing aspecitication, reterence being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels ot the resilient type and hastor its object to provide an improved resilient rim or tire structure otrelatively simple andinexpensive character which will provide acushioning ettect substantially equal to, that ot a pneumatic tirewhilev avoiding the wellknown objections to the latter, whichnecessitates practically no change in or modification'ot theconstruction ot the wheel proper,

which is ot durable and substantial construc-` tion so as to meet therequirements ot use, which includes the necessary power trans mittingconnections to adapt the same tor application to a traction wheel, whichwill afford the necessary resistance to side strain,l and which ispreferably o t a sec-tional torni permitting a worn or accidentallyinjure-:l portion thereot to be renewed without replacing the entirestructure.

The foregoing and other objects ot the invention, together with meanswhereby the same may be carried into ettect, will best be understoodtrom the following description ot certain torms or embodiments thereotillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a sideelevation, partly broken away, ot a portion ot a vehicle wheel embodyingthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section ot the wheel. f

Fig. 3 is a plan view ot a portion ot the tire.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a modified construction.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a modilied torm, in which the treadportion is termed continuous instead ot in sections.

Reterring to the drawings, there is shown at 10 a wheel telly connectedby spokes 11 with a hub 12, said telly, spokes and hub being ot anysuitable or well-known construction.

v Disposed about the periphery ot the telly 10 is a series ot plates 13having side flanges 14 engaging the lateral taces ot the telly andsuitably secured thereto, bolts 15. The plates 13 are tormed withradially disposed, outwardly projecting thimblesl or socket members 16which are re eeived in suitably disposed sockets 17 torined in treadsections 18 preterably corresponding in number to said thimbles 16`-said tread sections being disposed about and siii-rounding theperiphery ot the wheel in an annular series. The contiguous sections 1.8ot the series are termed with interengaging toothed ends, as shown mostclearly in Figure 3, the teeth ot adjacent sections overlapping andbeing pivotally connected by transversely disposed hinge pins 19,whereby all ot the sections ot the series are inovably connected.interposed between each tread section 18 and the cori responding plate13 is a spiral compression spring 20 partly housed within thecorresponding thimble 16 and bearing at its inner end against the bottomot said thimble and atits outer end against the bottom ot the socket 17.The depth ot the sockets 17 is picterably greater than the height orlength. measured radially ot the wheel, ot *the thimbles 16, whereby thetread sections 18 are permitted to yield inwardly as they'successivelycome around on the underside, coinpressing the springs 20. Said treadsections and thimbles are, however, limited to relative movement in adirection radial. ot the wheel., engagement ot said thimbles with thesockets 17 preventing relative movement ot these parts eitherperipherally orv laterally ot the wheel, thereby providing a powertransmitting connection tor traction purposes between the tire and thebody ot the wheel and affording means tor resisting side strains tendingto displace the tire laterally with respect to the rim.

The tread sections 18 may be ot any suitable material possessing thenecessary rigidity to operate in the manner above described and arepreterably composed ot metal. In the latter event, said tread sectionsmay, it desired, be provided with inserts 21 ot lead or other suitablematerial to deaden the sound.

Preferably, and as above stated, the tread sections 18 correspondinnumber with the thimbles 16, there being a spring 2O tor each ot saidsections, whereby the several sections are respectively resilientlyconnected with the telly. For use in heavy vehicles requiring broadtires and theretore necessitating as by screws or the use of treadsections 18 ot considerable Width, a plurality of peripheral series o'lthimbles 16 and sockets 17 may be employed,Y

thereby supporting each of the tread sec tions at a plurality of pointstransversely of the tread. cated in Figure 4, each of the )lates 13 maybe formed with two thimbles 1G suitably spaced transversely of theWheel, the tread members I8 being correspondingly Jformed with twosockets 17, so that two spring-s 2O will beemployed for resilien-tlyconnecting each of said sections with the telly. Obviously, if desired,three or more springs might similarly be employed.

In the modified form shown in Figurev 5,

the tread member 181 is made continuousinstead of in sections like thoseshown at I8. In this form, preferably twice as many springs 20 areemployed as in the forni iirst described.

What I claim is:

l. In a vehicle Wheel, a telly, a series oi' plates disposed about the'periphery of said 'felly, said plates having' side iannes secured tosaid felly and outwardly projecting' thimbles, a tread portioncomprising;` an annular series of sections surrouiuling said Jfelly,said sections having' interengaging toothed ends and being formed withsockets to receive said thirnbles, hinge pins pivot- Thus, for example,as indi ally connecting the contiguous ends of adjacent tread sections,and springs seated in said thimbles and engaging said sections.

:2. In a Vehicle Wheel,a telly, plates dis posed on the periphery ofsaid telly in annular arrangement having thimbles which extend radiallyoutward, an annular series of tread sections hinged together andsurrounding the periphery7 of said annular series o1" plates, said treadsections being formed With sockets Whose Walls are at all times intelescopic engagement with the thimbles on the felly plates, and coilsprings one end of each spring being seated in ont: of the thimbles onthe telly plate, and the other end being seated in one of the sockets inthe tread sections.

3. In a vehicle Wheeha telly, a plurality of thimbles secured to saidtelly and extending` radially outward, an annular series of treadsections. hinged together and surrounding` the said series of thimbles,said tread sections being formed with sockets which are at all times intelescopic engage ment with the thimbleson the telly'. and coil springs,one end of each springiY being seated in one of the thimbles on thetelly and the other end being seated in one of the sockets in the treadsections.

In testimony whereof I my sig-nature.

FRANK M. ZOTTOLI.

